Can adorable playable Ewoks get players back into ‘Star Wars: Battlefront II’?

Electronic Arts recently changed Star Wars: Battlefront IIin a big way, removing paid loot boxes and changing the game’s progression system to a more consistent and linear model based on player performance rather than chance. The damage to the game’s reputation from its original loot-box-heavy model is going to be tough to reverse, but a new Ewok-filled update could be just what the doctor ordered.

Beginning on April 18, Star Wars: Battlefront II will feature the limited-time mode “Ewok Hunt,” which pits the Empire against the Ewoks of Endor in a battle straight out of Return of the Jedi. While one side plays as the standard stormtroopers and attempts to escape, the Ewoks will stalk them and make use of spears in an attempt to eradicate the invading force.

Ewoks will also have access to the small “Wistie” creatures in the mode, and they’ll see their defending force grow larger over time, as anyone killed as a stormtrooper will respawn as an Ewok.

Microtransactions are also returning when the next update kicks in April 18, but they will be substantially less intrusive than they were previously. The premium “Crystals” currency will be used to unlock skins for characters rather than gameplay-focused abilities. You’ll be able to purchase new skins as well, including “Endor Leia,” “Endor Han,” “Wounded Chewbacca, with Arm Patch,” and “Scarred Kylo Ren, Patch over Scar.” The names just roll right off the tongue.

The April update isn’t the last new content Battlefront II players should expect to see. In May, the game will launch its second season of content, and more details about the season will be provided early next month. Each season will be centered on a theme such as a particular film, and will last for “multiple months,” according to Electronic Arts.

With the amount of Star Wars content coming out of Lucasfilm and Disney these days, the game should always have a variety of themes to choose from. The development team said in its update post that it has heard from fans interested in Clone Wars content, so it’s possible we could see a theme related to that in the not-too-distant future.

Star Wars: Battlefront II is available now on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.

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